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VOICES OF YOUTH “IX,
It Must Be Settled Right.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
However the battle is ended,
Though proudly the victor conies,
With fluttering flags and prancing nags
And echoing roll of drums,
Still truth proclaims this motto
In letters of living light—
No question is ever settled
Until it is settled right.
Though the heel of the strong oppressor
May grind the weak in the dust,
And the voices of fame with one acclaim
May call him great and just,
Let those who applaud take warning
And keep this motto in sight—
No question is ever settled
Until it is settled right.
Let those who have failed take courage,
Though the enemy seems to have won,
Though his ranks are strong, if he be in the wrong,
The battle is not yet done.
For sure as the morning follows
The darkest hour of night,
No question is ever settled
Until it is settled right.
Rights and Privileges of a Child.
We believe every child who reads The Voices of
Youth and who shares the interest and affection of
the editor, will be glad to have a little change this
week, and grant the editor a moment or two in
which to talk about a subject that must appeal to
each one, both young and old, who reflects on the
serious conditions of life. It is claimed that men
who hold great places in the world’s gift should con
tinually struggle to make their own personal con
duct, habits and even their motives correspondingly
high and broad. Now, while this is true of men and
women it is, or should be, true, quite as much of the
child as well. But how many children ever pause
long enough to consider that each one holds a really
“great” place in the world? Yet it is entirely true,
my dear young people, for if you will just stop a
minute you will certainly see how much of the plans,
purposes and ambitions of your elders centers around
you. For instance, there is the great big plan of
public education, all designed solely and wholly
for children. Just think of the vast system of public
schools supported by the taxes paid by individuals
who, whether they have children of their own or
not, are still willing to contribute to the education
of other people’s children. Think, too, of the army
of men and women who are today studying diligently
to become capable teachers of young people. Think
of the big enterprises, the normal schools, the teach
ers’ institutes and even the universities and col
leges, all uniting in a supreme effort to produce good
teachers.
The Rights of The Child.
Then, think a little beyond all this and see how
the governments of different states are concerning
themselves with the rights of the child; how laws
are being passed to keep children from unchildlike
vork, and to place them in proper atmospheres,
such as the very schools of which we speak.
Then, too, children of today learn more than mere
text book knowledge; they have the chance to learn
useful arts, mechanical working in wood, which
means carpentry, and many other arts, such as
printing, electrical working, etc., together with do
mestic employments for girls, like sewing, cooking
and even nursing and housekeeping. It has taken
a long time for state or city governments to arrange
for giving these advantages to children, but the ten
dency is to give even more, and to extend the pres
ent conditions which prevail at city schools into the
country districts and small towns. Again, even way
ward and sinful children are being helped in every
possible way by having good homes provided for them
and helpful moral influences given to them. Even
children without parents or guardians of any kind are
given, as you all know, homes and educations and
when we stop to really think about it, it would seem
that almost every department of government and
every thought of “grown-ups” were directed toward
making the world a happy place for children and
fitting them for even better things in the world to
come.
The Child’s Part.
Now, dear young people, maybe you haven’t
thought of all this before, but you must see it’s all
true, and once you admit that your best good means
The Golden Age for March 7, 1907.
so much to your elders, won’t you try to think how
you are going to “get even” with them? There is
only one way, and you just must know that this way
is for each separate one of you to do your level
best to take advantage of the good things provided
for you; to apply the lessons you learn in school,
and in Sunday school and to fit yourselves not only
to serve other children, when you are grown up, as
you are being served, but to occupy great places in
the world because your own moral and mental char
acter is great. It’s a simple way to pay a great
debt, and if men who attain world honors feel that
they should give the world high service in return,
then surely, surely, each child in America must
give the country and the state, the family, the
teacher and the friend the very best “service” that
he can, and in so giving repay in some measure all
that is so freely given to him.
Hero Contest Award.
As was stated of our last “Christmas contest” all
awards are made outside of the office of The Golden
Age, and by a committee to whom none of the con
testants are known. The editor necessarily pledged
himself to abide by the decision of this committee,
and, although in the present instance he cannot
indorse the action taken by its members, still he
feels in duty bound by this promise to abide by the
following letter:
Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 1907.
Mr. W. D. Upshaw, Editor The Golden Age, Atlanta,
Georgia.
Dear Sir: —In compliance with your request, we
have read carefully all letters submitted in the
“Hero Contest,” and have decided that the following,
from Mattie Earl Kent, defines a “hero” more fully
than any other letters entered in this contest. In
our opinion your prize should go to her. Very truly,
CONTEST COMMITTEE.
Dear Editor: —I have enjoyed reading the Hero
stories written by some of the boys and girls, but I
want to say I am sure they will agree with me
when I say that I think the Editor of The Golden
Age is a real hero. Who is it after haying read
“Echoes from a Recluse” will not close the book and
say truly “Earnest Willie” is a hero? When I think
of how his brightest hopes were blighted, and of
the long, weary years of suffering without a murmur,
but always saying, “Thy will be done,” and of the
great and noble work that he has done since that
time, I feel like saying, surely there’s no one that
deserves the name of “hero” more than he. We
take The Golden Age, and I think it a great paper.
If this letter doesn’t find its way to the waste
basket I will try and write again. I am your friend,
MATTIE EARL KENT
-154 Haynes street, Atlanta.
It is necessarily a trifle (?) embarrassing for the
editor to accept this decision, and it so happens
that he received this letter himself from the hands
of the bright little writer, but he did not open it,
nor did he know its contents until receiving the
foregoing from the committee.
The prize consists of the “Pledge Pin,” which, as
you all know, is not purchasable, and can only be
won when worked for in some way. The editor
naturally feels pleased and gratified at its falling to
one who is so evidently and so enthusiastically his
personal friend and admirer.
With Our Correspondents.
Again we turn to our “letter box” and find it con
tains words from old friends and greetings from
new ones. It is a real joy to us to know that even
those past the childhood stage read this department
and find it helpful. This fact makes it quite certain
that we have touched the right chord in the hearts of
our readers and we can only pray to be able to con
tinue to do so throughout all the future.
A LETTER OF REAL HELPFULNESS.
Dear Children: Before I learned to read my
parents would read the letters to me in the chil
dren’s corner in the “Index.” Sometimes there would
be a letter from “Earnest Willie.” (Then he wrote
oftener to the Index than he does now.) Well, I
liked his letters so much that I learned to watch
for them. I also learned to read and find his name
from all the others. Then I would carry it to my
father or mother to read for me. I have often
wished that all the paper (Index) were letters
from Earliest Willie. Now it seems like a little
fairy story to me, having as nice a paper as the
“Golden Age” coming into my home and knowing
that our own Earnest Willie is editor. And more,
we have a page of that paper through which we may
talk to our beloved editor. I too, would be de
lighted to have the privilege of calling Mr. Upshaw
brother, but I am afraid he already has more sis
ters than he wants.
Let’s all work for the “Golden Age” and try to
get it into every home in our Southland. I am go
ing to get up some subscribers. And ask the edit
or to please send me some sample copies. Also
some pledge cards. I am sure I can get some
children in my school to sign them. I think the fol
lowing books would be interesting for children. I
found them so. “The Wide, Wide World,” “The Cot
tage by the Sea,” The Mountain Daisy,” “The
Young Miller,” “A Little Chinaman,” “Little Scotch
Menie,” “Alone in London.” Bartlett Kelley, dear
boy, I congratulate you. I am glad you were so for
tunate. Please write to us again. Do let me thank
the editor for the story of Sam Davis. The poetry
by Moore, is just beautiful. I hope all the members
of the O. of G. A. will commit it to memory. It
contains a wonderful lesson. With a heart full of
love to you all. “ELIZABETH.”
It is not difficult to see that “Elizabeth” has learn
ed to get very close to the hearts of her friends
and it would be a real privilege to admit her into
the circle of “sisters” which can never be too
broad and whose members each have a special place
in the editor’s heart. We hope to hear from “Eliz
abeth” again and to learn how her pupils are work
ing for The Golden Age and the principles it stands
for. Her kind words are more than appreciated
and our thanks go out to her.
HELPED BY THE EDITOR’S MOTTO.
Dear Editor: Certainly it was not a mistake or
accident that the name was omitted to the letter in
the last issue of The Golden Age. But simply that
the writer did not wish it printed and not knowing
whether it was required or not just omitted it. Will
gladly send both name and adddress. Thanking you
from the depths of my heart for being so kind as
to print my letter will go forward trying to do
more each day for the great Creator. The motto
which has helped the two McDonough girls so much
will be an inspiration to me. How glad I am that
you printed them since I was not so fortunate as
to hear the motto. Respectfully,
624 Adams Street, Macon, Ga. “A. L.”
We are glad to have the name and address of this
writer and as it is not stated even yet whether this
name is for publication or not we use only the ini
tials. We welcome “A. L.” in our circle and are
more than glad that the editor’s motto: “Let Nothing
Discourage You —Never Give Up,” has been a help to
her as well as to others.
What a Child’s Toy Did.
Many of the world’s great mines were discovered
by chance, says “The Scrap Book,” and in many
cases, through ignorance, the discovery has been of
no value to the man who made it. The South Afri
can diamond mines, with their stupendous treasure,
brought exactly one hundred dollars to the Boer
farmer who was instrumental in unearthing their
secret.
Howard Hensman, in his biography of Cecil
Rhodes, says:
“This man one day saw a native child gleefully
playing with a small pebble that glittered and cor
uscated in the sun with unusual brilliance.
“He took the stone from the child, examined it,
and carried it home with him. He could have had
but little idea of what the stone really was, for
probably the only time he had ever heard of dia
monds was when he had read the Old Testament.
But a Boer has always a keen eye for business,
and, thinking that the stone might have some com
mercial value, the farmer showed it to a British
trader named O’Reilly.
“O’Reilly seems to have recognized the stone im
mediately as a diamond, and bought it of the Boer
—after considerable haggling—for one hundred dol
lars. Next he submitted it to Dr. Atherstone, of
Grahamstown —an authority on mineralogy—who un
hesitatingly declared it to be a diamond of the pur
est water.
“The diamond was then shown to Sir Philip Wode
house, high commissioner of the Cape, and was
bought by him from O’Reilly for twepty-flve hundred
dollars.”